Method of producing a sheathing or shingle and the product



Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,614.

' A. H. CARRIER.

METHOD 0F PRODUCING A SHEATHING OR SHINGLE AND THE PRODUCT FILED SEPTJB 192|.

Patented Mar, ld, i923@ :53': C Vnm tail-@Quia pill @ma .ernaar n. nannten, or .asirnvrnnnnonrn senor-nina, assrenon or ena-aaien so f nourrir eaevn, or er. tours, iarssenar.

lVlETll-ID F 'LQRUDNG A SHEATHIG 0R, SHENGLE ANTE Application led September 9, i921. Serial No. 499,411.

. To all whom t may conce-ML."

Be it known that l, ALBERT H. CARRIER, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Asheville, in Vthe county of Buncombe ,and

State or' North Carolina, have invented new and useful linnrovemerrts in Methods ci' Producing a Sheathing on Shingle and the produca-ot' which the following is a specication.

This inventionI relates to an improved method ot producing a palmetto or natural product sheathing or shingle, and the pri# mary object in view is to conserve the natura-l tough fibrous characteristics ofpalmetto and the inherent -flexibility thereof and render the same practicable for service asa sheathing or shingle covering for buildings and other analogous urposes at a comparatively small cost, andj to produce a re- 2@ sultant product that will be moisture proof and much stronger and more durable than the natural material from which the product is made, and whereby a building material may be manufactured at a much less cost-than by the use of ordinary lumber for a similar purpose. A further object et" the invention is to provide a lproduct from natural .growths that havehereto'fore been considered commercially useless and take advantage or the strength and durability of the tough ber that is embodied in palmetto and other similar coarise growths and subject the latter to such treatment as to essentially increase their strength and durability without interfering with the natura-l flexibility thereof and to render these growths benelicial and eiicient for building purposes, and also in some instances to ornan ment the surfaces of the sheets or shingles produced from these growths by painting Y and adhering comminuted stone, stone products orapebbles, tc simulate various surface coverings now commonly employed inbuilding structures. l

vThe invention consistsin the several'steps 'pursued in the preparationof thexpioduct and in the product itself as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the drawing;l

Fig. l illustrates a sectionalview of a tank or receptacle in which the material may be prepared in accordancey with-the method embodying the features ot the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view eta strip or shingle alter treatment 4in accordi5 ance with the improved4 method;

fd ig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the surface of the strip or shingle supplied 4with a covering of material to give it the appearance ofstone or other surface orna- @0 mentation.

The tank or receptacle shown by Fig. l is only one means otl carrying out the method, and it will be understood that this simpli- 'tied apparatus is not to be confined to any 65 particular size or dimensions `or exact details of construction, it being proposed to use a tank or receptacle of various types for ell'ecting the steps ot the method, or in manufacturing the product by the improved method. The tank or receptacle asy shown comprises a body 5 of an air-tight character having a lid or cover 6 that may be opened or closed and tightly sealed when closed. An air exhaust connection 7 is attached to Z5 the tank or receptacle and provided with a valve 8, whereby the same may be closed, a suitable pipe or connection fromv an air pump or exhausting apparatus being applicable to the pipe 7 tor Creatin 4a vacuum e@ within the tank or receptacle. lhe tank or receptacle also has a valved inlet 9,i`or the admission et certain treating material into the tank or receptacle, as will be hereinafter speciiied. Vlithin thebody of the tank or receptacle 5 at a suitable elevation a supporting rack 10 is mounted tor supporting the material to be treated, but it will be understood that the treatment ot the material is not limited to the use of this rack, as other 9@ means may be employed for holding or snp-i porting the materia-l to .the best ad1vantageM within the receptacle.

. lnv carrying out the method the material to be treated, preferably pieces of palmetto of thet..des`ired thickness as at ll, are placed within vthe tank or receptacle 5, as for instance on the racklO, and connection is made with the pipe 7 to an air pump or air exhaust mechanism and the valve 8 opened. 10@ After the material 11 is placed within the tank or receptacle 5, the cover 6 is sealed,

"to render the joints between the saine and the receptacle air-tight, and after the apparatus has thuswbeen prepared, the air is exhausted from the interior of the receptacle land the mechanical vacuum gradually produced will at the same time draw out the natural moisture contained in the material `11c and more or less open up the`pores of the same. Thel material treated is left inthe tank .under the action of the vacuum for about twenty-four hours, and after this period the valve 8 is closed and the valved inlet 9 is opened, a connection having been v tinue for a period suiicient to set up a thor:

made between this valved inlet and a supply source containing hot asphalt. The asphalt will rapidly enter the interior offthe tank 5 and submerge the material ll which has been previously subjected -to the action of the vacuum, and this submergence of the material within the hot asphalt will conough impregnation of the material by the asphalt, or until the asphalt has fully saturated the said material 11. After this Asaturation ofthe material 11 with the asphalt, the natural pithy filling of the palmetto or natural coarse growth will be completely permeated with the asphalt and a greater body stren h will be given to the material treated. ubsequent to" this treatment of the material with the asphalt for a sutlicient period to effect thorough saturation as eX plained, the asphalt saturated material is removed from the .receptacle and allowed to become dry' or cured land may then be used as a shingle covering or as a surface sheathing in accordance with the size of the .pieces of material so treated.

" to effect an adhesion. of this covering lby means of the asphalt when the latter is fully dry. The-comminuted stone or other covering material, including pebbles, may also be applied to at least one side of the piece of material treated by the addition of a suitable adhesive substance, and through the me- .dium' of thisoperation an advantageous variation in the building material product will result. These surface coverings may be modified or varied as found desirable in accordance with the design ofthe building to be constructed and in part at least with the impro-ved material. Y

It is also proposed to use the improved material constructed in accordance with the foregoing'method in all sorts ofA buildings where the same may be applicable and economically useful, and it is particularly effective in the construction of light buildings such as shacks and bungalows, which will be rendered water proof and also be thereby generally protected and also may be given an unique surface design appearance by the use of the material in its several forms.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The method of forming a' building material, consisting in subjecting 'a piece of natural wood product having distinct strong fibers anda p-ithy filling to vacuum action lwithin an enclosure until the material has moisture completely eliminated therefrom, then saturating the material while in vacuum withI material fromthe enclosure and drying and curing the same.

` 2. `'lhe method of formingAa building material, consistingin subjecting apiece of natural wood product having distinct strong fibers and a pithy filling to vacuum action within an enclosure until the material has moisture completely eliminated therefrom,

hot' asphalt, and vremoving they then saturating the material fwhile in vacuum with hot asphalt, and removing the material lfrom the enclosure and providing the same .with an adhering lcovering ma-v terial.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a natural wood product having a plurality of tough fibers extendin therethrough and imbedded in a pithy fi ing saturated with asphalt completely therethrough to render the material water proof. y

4. AA-product consisting of a natural` wood material having elongated tough fibers imbedded in ay pithy vfillingvthoroughly saturated and permeated with asphalt and provided with an adhering covering material.

`In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT H. CARRIER. Witnesses: l

R. S. SMrriI,

L. G. BERRY. 

